Barriers to Entry of Life



Minecraft

With regard to individual expression, game creation has high barriers to entry. The forms of artistic expression with perhaps the lowest barriers to entry are song followed by drawing, writing, and then music.

Song, apart from recording, need not keep pace with technology. Because it need only keep pace with biological evolution, an argument can be made that the most mature expression of song has already been achieved.

Drawing barely need keep pace with technology. The pigments on cave walls gave way to charcoal, which was honed into the modern pencil. To be sure, the pencil is giving way to the stylus (the mouse was an interesting and outlying transition, and the finger will not be fine enough), but such progress is for distribution purposes only, not for purposes of aesthetic.

Super Meat Boy

Writing "evolves" faster than biological evolution because language serves to reflect the values of the speakers and writers, but the "evolution" is not compelled by technology. Like drawing, the transition of writing to word processing (even speech-to-text) is for distribution rather than aesthetic. Reading is a slow way to receive information compared with multi-sense forms such as video with audio. However, the multi-sense forms are more expensive to produce than writing by orders of magnitude. As the prohibitive costs decrease, writing can be expected to actually evolve away from our current concept of writing and into shared experience. For purposes of this writing, such sublimation means that writing is also mature as far as needing to keep pace with technology.

Music, apart from recording, has been relegated to using technology to more accurately reflect the sound of instruments already in use rather than create new sounds unbounded by physical implementation. This severe introspection indicates the current decoupling of music with the necessity to keep pace with technology.

Game Maker

Game creation is slowly being used for individual expression by those who spend years studying the form. The group-centric nature of game creation dampers expression because the survival of the group depends on catering to broad tastes. Compared to the above forms, game creation is extremely coupled to the pace of technology. Consider that not one in ten can reproduce Pong using present technology, to say nothing of a triple-A title or using the technology with which Pong was actually created, and the high barriers are plain. Indeed, many more than one in ten can reproduce early lullabies, cave drawings, and hieroglyphics. Game Maker is lowering the barriers for the most accepted forms of game creation. As such, Game Maker deserves all the plaudits that can be heaped upon it but few of the criticisms that are. Additionally, the creators of middleware engines are the unsung heroes of the advancement of expression in game creation.

The film industry may be in the beginning of what will be considered the transition from writing to shared experience. By viewing the same film, two people have shared the same experience and created the same memory subject to their personal interpretation of the film. However, a wildly divergent interpretation is an error (or feature) of communication by the film creators.

Dwarf Fortress


The medium of games, of course, is interactive compared to the medium of film. As such, if the path of film leads to shared experience, to what will the path of game creation lead? In other words, what is interactive shared experience? Life?

A Thought Exercise: Is EA’s Tying of NBA Elite 11 to NBA JAM Anticompetitive?

It is too early to tell if EA’s tying of NBA Elite 11 to NBA JAM is anticompetitive. There are simply not enough facts about sales, jurisdiction, etc. in a press release to be certain. Indeed, there has been no sale yet. However, the scenario is an interesting thought experiment. The language under scrutiny is:


“To make NBA ELITE the ultimate basketball experience for you, we will be including three modes of NBA JAM for FREE with NBA ELITE 11. That’s right, not only will you be getting NBA ELITE 11 when you buy the game, but you will also have NBA JAM available as well — so for the price of one game, you’re getting two full NBA experiences. Another important note to share with all of you — the ONLY way you will be able to play NBA JAM for the PS3 is to buy NBA ELITE 11.”

(http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/08/03/nba-elite-11-for-ps3-new-controls-and-nba-jam-confirmed/ August 3, 2010).

Reboot of NBA JAM

The elements of tying are (1) two separate products or services are involved; (2) the purchase of the tying product is conditioned on the additional purchase of the tied product; (3) the seller has sufficient market power in the market for the tying product; (4) a not insubstantial amount of interstate commerce in the tied product market is affected.

Before considering the elements, it must be mentioned that EA probably has the exclusive rights to both games. As such, this scenario does not neatly fit into usual tying scenarios where Company A ties products Y and Z so that consumers do not purchase a similar product Y from Company B. Here, consumers cannot purchase NBA JAM (or something similar) anywhere else. As such, who will be alleging they have sustained damages? It probably would be hard to argue that NBA JAM is similar to another basketball game because the enjoyment of the NBA JAM stems from the brand and the gameplay.

Considering the first element, NBA Elite 11 is a separate product from NBA JAM. Specifically, the two are different games. The language “for the price of one game, you’re getting two full NBA experiences” is helpful here. As such, the first element is satisfied.

Considering the second element, EA is offering NBA JAM for free. As such, there is probably not a purchase of NBA JAM. Specifically, a purchase for zero dollars cannot be a purchase per se. The language “we will be including three modes of NBA JAM for FREE with NBA ELITE 11” is helpful here. As such, the second element is probably not satisfied.

The assumption should be made that costs for development of NBA JAM will not be directly factored into the price of NBA Elite 11. Otherwise, a bookkeeping trick would subvert the intent behind prohibition of tying. To illustrate, suppose NBA Elite 11 was originally intended to be priced at $40.00 and NBA JAM was originally intended to be priced at $20.00. To offer NBA JAM for free on condition of a $60.00 purchase of NBA Elite 11, while simultaneously arguing that there is no purchase of NBA JAM, would be an example of a bookkeeping trick subverting the intention behind the prohibition of tying.

NBA JAM

Considering the third element, the tying product is NBA JAM because the “sale” of NBA JAM is conditioned on the purchase of NBA Elite 11. This comports with traditional notions of tying because NBA JAM has more cachet than NBA Elite 11. The language “the ONLY way you will be able to play NBA JAM for the PS3 is to buy NBA ELITE 11” is helpful here. EA has sufficient market power due to having the exclusive license for NBA JAM and due to EA’s size within the basketball game market, the sports game market, and the video game market. As such, the third element is satisfied.

Considering the fourth element, EA is probably planning to offer discs of NBA Elite 11 (the tied product) for sale in every state. Used-game sellers in every state will also probably carry NBA Elite 11. As such, the fourth element is satisfied. It will probably not matter that NBA JAM may be download-only because NBA JAM is not the tied product. Even if it did matter, a download server in a state different from the download computer would probably be within the purview of interstate commerce.

EA’s tying of NBA Elite 11 to NBA JAM is probably not anticompetitive because EA probably owns the exclusive rights to NBA JAM and there is no purchase of NBA JAM. Rather, NBA JAM is being offered for free with the purchase of NBA Elite 11.

Return on Investment

There has always been, in many industries, tension between management and labor, investors and creators, suits and talent. Therefore, it is little wonder that the best managers were once creators, and the best creators understand the needs of managers. Is there a way to increase this beneficial mutual understanding, allowing creators some flexibility to nurture and exercise their talent (to the benefit of the company in increased productivity, loyalty, and of course talent), while allowing the company to not only stay afloat but prosper?

Portal

 Consider the following model. The creators devote ten percent of their time (every other Friday) to a small download-only project of their own. All resulting intellectual property would belong to the company. If successful, the download-only game would be followed by a big-budget sequel. In this way, companies could continuously develop original I.P. with minimal resources at risk, and creators could indulge their risky conceptual ideas without the pressures attached to triple-A titles. Also, morale would increase, and burnout would decrease.

VVVVVVVV

The ten percent sacrifice of creator and manager time (not even ten considering it is a Friday, and many creators will be staying for unpaid over-time to work on their baby) will be outweighed by the increased understanding, communication, original IP, mitigation of risk, productivity, talent level, education of junior employees, and loyalty to the company.

One likely drawback is that crunch, the burst of productivity before significant deadlines, will raise tensions about the model. Creators will fight tooth and nail for the lifestyle to continue during crunch when it is arguably needed the most. Investors will consider the practice a perquisite and waste of money when it is arguably needed the least. These tensions should be addressed beforehand.



Additional concepts to tailor the experience:

• Limit team sizes so creators wear many hats. Allow a team size of one for unparalleled personal growth.

Canabalt

• Tenured creators could retire to "the farm," where they would spend all of their time doing what other creators only spend ten percent of their time doing.

• Force corporate management to play titles outside their comfort zone to completion during these Fridays in order to gain more appreciation for creator and player perspective.

• Allow even junior creators ownership of the management of big-budget sequels as a reward for their success.

• Allow for exhibitions of pet projects one Friday a quarter for cross-pollination purposes.

• Monitor participation to identify high-value talent early.

• Target different demographics than usual to create a robust company. More than just different genre demographics, consider targeting businesses rather than individuals.

Hydorah

• Allow creators to attempt and fail a completely new job description.

• Make budgeting and forecasting a large part of creator responsibility. Identify possible crossovers to management early.

• Set a simultaneous time limit for a final up or down vote on each project based on company needs. Conversely, allow each project its own life cycle. A culling plan should be very clear, and company expectations should be communicated well before any work begins, because rejection of personal work is difficult no matter how mediocre the product. Consider democratizing the culling process.

Spelunky

• Present awards.

• Offer financial incentives to both suits and talent associated with success.

• Have creators pitch their projects to management.

Into the Lexicon: Delayed Purchase

Delayed purchase: n. The buying of a game, by one who has previously played the game for free, irrespective of the intent to play the bought game but usually with the intention of honoring the creators of the game.

"There wasn't a donate button on Pixel's website when I played Cave Story a year ago, so I am making a delayed purchase on the Wii."

Artifacts of History: Enriching and Burdening

Precedent is a powerful force.  It is so powerful that it is one parent of two other powerful forces: expectation and tradition.  American history students know that George Washington, simply by being the first President and improvising as necessary, created artifacts of government that persist today.  Video games have their own artifacts. Which of these artifacts are part of the enriching tradition that implies culture, and which are burdens of expectation that impede progress?

The title screen is an artifact of the "attract mode" setting of arcade software.  Attract mode is the cycle arcade software repeats when there are no players, and is designed to entice players to part with their quarters.  The mode usually consists of gameplay video, artistic video similar to a cutscene but not one of the actual cutscenes in the game, a warning not to do drugs, and the title screen in case there is no cabinet art.

A common anti-drug message seen in arcades

Somehow, title screens persisted in software as the software moved out of the arcade, moved past the need to entice players considering the sale is already made, and moved away from functionality altogether.  The worst offenders are title screens that simply state "Press Start."  Enough players, upon inserting a disc or running the program, want to start from the last checkpoint reached (if continuing the game) or simply begin (if starting the game for the first time) that it is worth inconveniencing players who want to select a different checkpoint or select different options by making the latter press start during the game rather than making the former press start before the game.  It will be remarkable when, upon starting the latest triple-A title and leaving the room, the player can return seeing that she has died thirty times because not only was the title screen abolished, but the "You are dead.  Press start to continue." screen was similarly abolished.

An Easter egg in Adventure

Easter eggs are artifacts of pride, conspiratorial fun, or revenge by creators who are sometimes denied the attribution they deserve.  In any event, they have become part of the rich heritage, lore, and tradition of the industry.  They show us the human side of what can seem like an impersonal relationship between creators and customers.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, there are many ways to get many lives

Lives are artifacts created by the necessity of extracting more quarters out of the player. The notion of lives is the implementation of a time limit based on skill rather than time itself, which would no doubt be unpalatable. Also, being a game of skill is an important differentiator in the eyes of those legislating against games of chance. An artifact begat by lives was the concept of continues. In most instances, losing a life restarted a level, but using a continue restarted a larger increment than a level. Most likely, this resulted from software that was unable to retain the particular state of the player. That lives and continues made it out of the arcade was inevitable, as authentic arcade gameplay was the barometer of success of the console. Perhaps the price of one game was set at the value of quarters the average player would use to complete the arcade version. Speculation aside, lives and continues lasted longer than necessary in games where they served no function.

In Wario Land 3, there are no lives

Code modification is an artifact of curiosity, enthusiasm, and respect for the game by the player.  A player that cares enough about a game to go under the hood to increase replayabilty by tweaking rulesets and physics is the kind of loyal customer any business would love.  It is the height of short-sightedness for a creator to reproach the player for not playing the game as it was expected to be played.  Note that the code modification discussed here differs in degree from code modification that arouses a moral rights issue.  Preventing code modification that rises to the level of defacement and besmirching the creators product by making the game behave in inappropriate ways relative to the target audience is separable from the above.  Similarly, an effort to profit off the code of another can be distinguished from the love letters freely offered by loyal customers.  The differences between the loyal customer and the profiteer or defacer are usually much wider than creators care to admit.  Code modification merely takes advantage of the level of interactivity so unique in the industry by giving the customer an alternate avenue of feedback than the usual complaints and comments department.  As such, this artifact is worth preserving.

Ryu Hyabusa and his health bar

The health bar, and HUD in general, is an artifact of limited memory.  Each piece of information in the HUD was a placeholder for when memory caught up to the point where the information could be displayed intuitively, naturally, and realistically.  For example, in order to reuse sprite animations, the health bar placeholder was devised.  As such, Simon Belmont and Ryu Hyabusa did not need to be redrawn in various states of disrepair, which would consume copious amounts of creator time and software memory.  These limitations are inapplicable today, yet Hyabusa remains freshly modeled even on the verge of death.  Progressive fighters allow the hiding of health bars, injecting a fun suspense in matches, but Ken and Ryu (no relation) do not receive black eyes after being hit in the eye during the match; nor does some part of their clothing burn off after being hit with a fireball.  

Ryu and his health bar 11 years later

It is possible that the flagship character of a series should not be depicted as bloodied or bruised, and it is also possible that a sorely wounded Ryu (either) still able to jump with the agility of a fresh Ryu would appear dissonant, but there are subtler ways to represent the gamut of health states.  It may even be a fun challenge to decrease the ability of wounded characters.  Usually, attempts at realism taken too far would take the fun out of the game, and while no one would consider adding tedious tasks in order to inject realism, the placeholders of the HUD are ripe for revisiting. Similarly, cutscenes themselves are an artifact of limited memory.  

Hit point inflation is an artifact of marketing.  Screenshots of upcoming games with characters and enemies having higher hit points are a regular part of the fuel of hype machines. While hit point inflation can be implemented for more nuanced gameplay, allowing finer gradations of battle scenarios using only integers, having hit points reach the million mark is far more nuance than could ever be efficiently implemented.  As such, the tactic is revealed as a marketing tool disguised as gameplay.  While marketing has a respected place in the budget in every enterprise, and certainly adds to the bottom line, effective marketing need not be deceptive.

Reviewing the list, it is mostly the artifacts of technology that shackle and the artifacts of human nature that set free.  Even George, that precedential President, would approve. 

During which part of playing a video game does the actual "playing" occur?

During which part of playing a video game does the actual "playing" occur? Unfortunately, the answer to this question, like the answer to too many other questions, is: It depends. For purposes of this discussion, playing a video game can be divided into the following categories:

A. Pressing the buttons
B. Viewing the short-term consequences of button presses
C. Deciding which buttons should be pressed next
D. Viewing the long-term consequences of button presses

Angband, a Roguelike

Roguelike enthusiasts have long championed that the answer is C only. Consider the characteristics of the genre: a GUI that prizes efficiency of communication above all; unlimited time to decide which buttons to press next; and an input system that prioritizes efficiency over steepness in learning curve. As such, it is no accident that A, B, and D are nigh instantaneous. To entrants in the genre, there is a distressing lack of time between "You swing! You miss!" and "It breathes. You are dead." To devotees, however, it is the hallmark of design.

From this perspective, the similarities between Roguelikes and chess are unmistakable. Although pounding the chess clock is no doubt satisfying and theatrical, there is little doubt that the "play" in chess is primarily in C. As such, aficionados of Roguelikes are burdened with the knowledge that, as with chess, a majority of the population is unsatisfied with C-only play, and the genre is reserved for the niche with the most fervent imagination, the most tenacity to learn a complex interface, and the belief that utilizing both is worthwhile.

Vanguard Princess, a fighter

Fighting fans understand that the simple joys in life are the best. The "play" in fighters resides primarily in A and B. As any mind unclouded with ego can attest, the simple act of pressing buttons, even when taken apart from its short or long-term consequences, is delightfully sensory. If not, why are the buttons colored? Why are they smooth? Why do they click and clack so satisfyingly when mashed to the irritation of arcade owners who must replace them?

That the button presses create such stylish visuals to hold passers by, and their quarters, in a trance is the arcade owner’s solace. Darwin, shown a student computer lab in California, shown a fighter, shown an arcade in any town, and shown a Roguelike would not hesitate in deducing which game evolved from which environment despite an alarming unfamiliarity with any of the above.

RPG addicts tout interesting cause and effect relationships, and the replayability that they provide, as the font of play. As such, an evolving narrative over time is what they crave. The best way to supply their fix is to provide as much substance D as possible.

Guitar Hero hardware

Rhythm game lovers have only recently been satisfied, but the games have exploded with success across all platforms with a fervor to compensate. Arcade games such as Galaga, Centipede, Operation: Wolf, Dance Dance Revolution, and a plethora of fighters have long experimented with input style. Console makers were understandably dubious that many would want to pay for game specific hardware multiple times over. As such, more general non-standard inputs were created such as a generic gun or running pad. However, most arcade inputs were shoe-horned into the existing control pad setup with varying results. Most likely, Nintendo's recent success with varied inputs is a result of two understandings combined: 1) That the A-only demographic is the largest; and 2) That the customers have matured, i.e., those actually spending are the ones playing the games or grew up playing video games. As such, the market will bear much more specific inputs than even currently available. The plastic guitar and DJ inputs will soon give way to piano, violin, and trumpet inputs to those who understand that today's parents recognize video games as tools to shape minds in a way that previous parents could not. Furthermore, considering that the marriage of game and music is not the only way to create an A-only game, the A-only game has not been exploited to its natural boundaries, and it provides the most fertile ground for innovation to those bold enough to satisfy this long-suffering market.

A only	Rhythm
B only	Zen, FPS
C only	Roguelike, Text Adventure
D only	RPG
A and B	Fighter, Shoot-'em-up, Sport
A and C	Simon and similar games
A and D	Action
B and C	Puzzle
B and D	Relationship Building, Visual Novel
C and D	Adventure, Time Management
A, B, and C	Flight Simulation
A, B, and D	Party
A, C, and D	Driving Simulation
B, C, and D	Management Simulation, Strategy
A, B, C, and D	Platformer

Cave Story, a platformer

The case can be made for all of A, B, C, and D to apply to any genre, but as to the primary source of play, the genres differentiate themselves admirably. Recommended for future study is the extent to which, e.g., fighter fans buy shoot-’em-ups; RPG lovers buy biographies; etc.

While it is axiomatic that different people find fun in different experiences, it is instructive to understand from where the fun emanates. As the future brings more letters to the list, those that realize more genres will be needed will be in the best position for success. As proof, one need only consider the A-only demographic for which deliverance lied in rhythm games, a genre whose recent popularity was not bottlenecked by technological constraints but by inaccurate understanding of the large demographic's desire for play.

Flower, a Zen game

Dudebro II, a mock cover for a parody of FPS games in production